1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water jet assemblies, and particularly to a water jet assembly incorporating a pop-up member for discharging water into a water reservoir such as a spa.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrotherapy jets for use in spas, hot tubs, pools and bathtubs that discharge a stream of water are well known in the art. In accordance with one variation, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,522 issued on Jul. 24, 2001, to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, an adjustable hydrotherapy jet is mounted in the side wall of a spa or the like below the surface of the water. The jet includes an outlet that extends horizontally from a jet body in response to water flow admitted to the jet body and retracts, under spring bias, when the flow is terminated. The stream emanating from these hydrotherapy jets may be illuminated by means of fiber optic elements, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,277, issued Jan. 21, 2003, to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, or by means of an LED light source, as disclosed in the above-referenced provisional application No. 60/585,017.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,675, issued on Jul. 22, 2003 to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a pool or spa waterfall unit incorporating fiber optic illumination. The waterfall unit is typically installed in the side wall of the pool or spa, above the surface of the water, with the majority of the waterfall unit being disposed behind the side wall with only an outlet fitting being visible from within the pool or spa.
Systems providing “jumping jets” from units positioned around or within the confines of decorative ponds or pools of the kind found in public parks are also known as exemplified by products sold by PEM Fountain Co., Ontario, Canada. These units are relatively large and are mounted above ground or above the surface of the pond water when mounted within the confines of the pond or pool. The units are mounted on stands bolted or otherwise secured to base structures located on the ground around the pool or pond or within their confines. Controllably timed, intermittent streams whose trajectories are preset may be provided and the units may include illumination sources to internally illuminate the discharged streams. These reservoirs and their associated water displays are primarily intended to be visually appreciated by observers and are generally not meant for use as a spa or swimming pool.